Saturday, January 16, 2010

Giants appear content to be ever the bridesmaid


It is comments like the following that bother me the most about the Giants prospects for next year and 2011, the length of Giants GM Brian Sabean's contract.

From the blog Extra Baggs, by Giants beat writer Andrew Baggarly

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2010/01/13/aubrey-huff-to-bat-cleanup-in-giants-new-look-lineup-sandoval-puts-on-a-few-pounds-plus-many-more-notes/


If Bengie Molina and the Mets genuinely are getting close to a contract, the other catching dominoes will start to fall. Yorvit Torrealba still makes sense, although it’s hard to imagine he’ll take a one-year contract when he reportedly already turned down two to stay in Colorado. “The catcher’s market is remarkably still evolving,” Sabean said. “There will probably be somebody left without a place to go that we can turn to. We are willing to go to (rookie Buster) Posey but we are keeping an open mind. We’ll revisit as we go along.”

In answering a question about the Giants plans for addressing the catching position this year Sabean offers "there will probably be somebody left without a place to go that we can turn to".

AYFKM!!! I think I have used the "it's 2 a.m., last call and we're just going to go home with the prettiest girl that is still standing" approach to free agents that personifies the Neukom/Sabean/Giants era of late.

After reading these comments, you can almost envision Sabean, like a loser in some smoky, honky-tonk bar, reeking of too many Marlboro's and Johnny Walker Red, failing to score with the honeys and then settling for the fat chick with the cleft lip. That's how it seems like the Giants luck has been scoring A-list free-agents in recent years.

We settled for DeRosa as the answer in LF, when Holliday was available.
We settled for Huff as the answer at 1B, after failing to secure LaRoche.

It is also-ran finishes like this that sets the table for a second place (or worse) finish on the field. As long as Sabean is around.

And it's not as if I'm pining for the bold strokes of the Magowan as Managing General Partner era. The Neukom boys handed Sabs a pile of cash and he turned it into Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria. We have the most flexible group of IF gloves in the bigs, with little or no pop from 1B, a hallmark of the Sabean years. We still have no pop from the corner OF's and I don't see too many teams winning titles that do not have some juice from the 1B-3B-LF-RF positions. This team I'm sure has had the weakest production from those four slots as any in the bigs. We have guys in the 3-4-5 slots in the order that would likely be 6-7-8 guys on a contender.

It looks like we have to have breakout or career years from too many hitters to contend unless all goes right with the starters. And we could be a sophomore slump by Panda away from competing with the Padres for the basement again.

This team finally stuck it's head out of the hole of successive years of 90 loss seasons. I would hate to see last years 88 win total be an aberration. But I'm starting to get that 90 loss feeling again.

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Giants Top Minor League Prospects

  • 1. Joey Bart 6-2, 215 C Power arm and a power bat, playing a premium defensive position. Good catch and throw skills.
  • 2. Heliot Ramos 6-2, 185 OF Potential high-ceiling player the Giants have been looking for. Great bat speed, early returns were impressive.
  • 3. Chris Shaw 6-3. 230 1B Lefty power bat, limited defensively to 1B, Matt Adams comp?
  • 4. Tyler Beede 6-4, 215 RHP from Vanderbilt projects as top of the rotation starter when he works out his command/control issues. When he misses, he misses by a bunch.
  • 5. Stephen Duggar 6-1, 170 CF Another toolsy, under-achieving OF in the Gary Brown mold, hoping for better results.
  • 6. Sandro Fabian 6-0, 180 OF Dominican signee from 2014, shows some pop in his bat. Below average arm and lack of speed should push him towards LF.
  • 7. Aramis Garcia 6-2, 220 C from Florida INTL projects as a good bat behind the dish with enough defensive skill to play there long-term
  • 8. Heath Quinn 6-2, 190 OF Strong hitter, makes contact with improving approach at the plate. Returns from hamate bone injury.
  • 9. Garrett Williams 6-1, 205 LHP Former Oklahoma standout, Giants prototype, low-ceiling, high-floor prospect.
  • 10. Shaun Anderson 6-4, 225 RHP Large frame, 3.36 K/BB rate. Can start or relieve
  • 11. Jacob Gonzalez 6-3, 190 3B Good pedigree, impressive bat for HS prospect.
  • 12. Seth Corry 6-2 195 LHP Highly regard HS pick. Was mentioned as possible chip in high profile trades.
  • 13. C.J. Hinojosa 5-10, 175 SS Scrappy IF prospect in the mold of Kelby Tomlinson, just gets it done.
  • 14. Garett Cave 6-4, 200 RHP He misses a lot of bats and at times, the plate. 13 K/9 an 5 B/9. Wild thing.

2019 MLB Draft - Top HS Draft Prospects

  • 1. Bobby Witt, Jr. 6-1,185 SS Colleyville Heritage HS (TX) Oklahoma commit. Outstanding defensive SS who can hit. 6.4 speed in 60 yd. Touched 97 on mound. Son of former major leaguer. Five tool potential.
  • 2. Riley Greene 6-2, 190 OF Haggerty HS (FL) Florida commit.Best HS hitting prospect. LH bat with good eye, plate discipline and developing power.
  • 3. C.J. Abrams 6-2, 180 SS Blessed Trinity HS (GA) High-ceiling athlete. 70 speed with plus arm. Hitting needs to develop as he matures. Alabama commit.
  • 4. Reece Hinds 6-4, 210 SS Niceville HS (FL) Power bat, committed to LSU. Plus arm, solid enough bat to move to 3B down the road. 98MPH arm.
  • 5. Daniel Espino 6-3, 200 RHP Georgia Premier Academy (GA) LSU commit. Touches 98 on FB with wipe out SL.

2019 MLB Draft - Top College Draft Prospects

  • 1. Adley Rutschman C Oregon State Plus defender with great arm. Excellent receiver plus a switch hitter with some pop in the bat.
  • 2. Shea Langliers C Baylor Excelent throw and catch skills with good pop time. Quick bat, uses all fields approach with some pop.
  • 3. Zack Thompson 6-2 LHP Kentucky Missed time with an elbow issue. FB up to 95 with plenty of secondary stuff.
  • 4. Matt Wallner 6-5 OF Southern Miss Run producing bat plus mid to upper 90's FB closer. Power bat from the left side, athletic for size.
  • 5. Nick Lodolo LHP TCU Tall LHP, 95MPH FB and solid breaking stuff.